Blue birthday: Midland boy gets special birthday visit

Kathie M. Marchlewski

Published 9:00 pm, Saturday, August 17, 2002

Daily News RYAN WOOD

Michael Williams, who turns 6 next Friday, is surprised as he walks into his birthday party with his friend, Tyler Fournier, 5, Saturday at the Valley Plaza Resort. Michael's father, Larry Williams, entered him in a contest to win a Blue's Clues surprise birthday party with a visit from Blue of Nickelodeon.

It was a blue birthday party Saturday for Michael Williams, but probably his best ever.

When he arrived at Valley Plaza Resort Saturday morning, Michael, who will turn 6 years old Friday, expected to go for a birthday swim. Instead, he was greeted by about 65 friends, family members, and a special guest, Blue, of Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues fame.

"I wondered what we were doing, then I came in and they all yelled 'Happy birthday,'" Michael said.

The original Blue puppet, straight from Nick headquarters in New York City, arrived with a birthday greeting and gifts.

Michael's father, Larry Williams, won a visit from the Nickelodeon star after he entered a national drawing by filling out an entry form at the Meijer store in Hampton Township, east of Bay City.

As part of the grand prize package in the Little Chefs in the Kitchen Sweepstakes, sponsored by Nick Jr. Family Magazine, Michael was given a birthday cake shaped piñata and Blues Clues party favors for all of his friends. Nickelodeon also supplied money for food and gifts.

Nickelodeon staff attended the birthday bash to take photos to use for upcoming promotions.

"I never win anything," Larry Williams said of his luck in the drawing. "This was the first time. It was lucky," he added, "Blue's Clues is all Michael watched. It was right up his alley."

Williams' streak of luck was almost ruined Monday, when he was injured in a motorcycle repair accident. He spent the week in the hospital with a punctured lung, broken leg and bruises, but was released Saturday morning, just before his son's party.

Guests played games of 'Pin the tail on Blue,' and decorated cupcakes with Blue claws. They each had a photo taken with the character, and the film was rushed to be developed and brought back to be inserted in frames featuring the blue dog.

Michael's mother, Patty Williams, spent the last few days preparing prizes and games with the help of party kits provided by Nickelodeon.

She kept the party a surprise, but told Michael Friday night, "the sooner you go to bed, the sooner it will be your birthday."

Since they held a big outside barbeque for his fifth birthday, she didn't plan on having a party this year.

"I think he wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese's instead," she said.

"It's something he'll remember for a long time," she said of the birthday surprise.